I just bought the game and am incredibly excited to finally play my first game! I was wondering if we should play at 3 players or at 4 players for our first game. I'm leaning towards 3 for two main reasons:
1. Time. A 3 player game should take 5 hours while a 4 player game will take closer to 7 (if my estimates are correct considering we're all first-timers).

1. Dedication. I know for sure that there are three of us who will be very into the game and enjoy it the entire way through without getting too distracted or checking out. If I were to get a fourth to join, they wouldn't be as excited or interested as the three of us.
   

Is 3 a viable/worthwhile player count? I can very easily see how this game shines at 4 to 5 players while still remaining fun at 3.